Spring-wheel.



B. B. KEEMBR. SPRING WHEEIFI. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

IWi/Emaowo EDGAR IB. KEEMER, or wasmne'ron, nis'rmicr or senor-rents.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Eetent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1213.31.

Application med m 18, 1912. Serial No. ceases.

1 b all whom. it may concern:

lile it known that I, EDGAR 3B. KEEMER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Washington, District of Columbia, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain useful improvements in spring vehiclewheels and the objiects of the invention are, first, to provide a spring wheel for motor vehicles which possesses sufiicient resiliency, durability and simplicity to avoid the necessity of pneumatic or cushion tires on such wheels, and at the same time make the component parts separably connected together so as to be capable of being readily and cheaply manu- -factured and also be conveniently detached and replaced by new parts when worn out or when occasion requires it. Second, to construct av spring wheel which possesses suilicient flexibility and resiliency, to readily adapt itself to a wide range of loads and'at the same time of such stability and strength, as to eiicctually absorb shocks incident to the diderent conditions of travel. Third, to provide a spring wheel in which the resilient members are suiiiciently rigid as to permit the traction power to readily rotate the wheel without loss o:t power,'or in any way disturb the operative relation of the several parts of the wheel, yet enable, should occasion require, as by shock or otherwise, said shock to be quickly and readily distributed and absorbed by the resilient members of the wheel. Fourth, to construct a spring wheel at embodies to a marked degree, the characteristics of simplicity, durability, and strength, combined with a. maximum resiliency, without any i unusual weight to the several parts of the wheel.

With these and other objects in view that will more fully appear from the detailed description hereinafter referred to, the invention consists in structural "features and relative arrangements of the several parts comprising the invention, which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. For a full understanding of the invention and merits thereof and also to acquire the details of the construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elenation of the Wheel with a section broken away; Fig. 2 is a. section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3-is a. section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the resilient men bers, and attaching bolts,

In the drawings, thesame referent:e charactors indicate the corresponding and like parts in the several views. 1

For the purpose of illustrating one and the preferred form of my invention in the drawings, 1 represents the hub of the wheel and 2 are the spokes which engage and sup port in proper relation the fo y ii. Said felly- 3 is provided with a series of radial holes 4, preferably interposed between. the spokes 2:2, and are adapted to receive split bolts 5, to be hereinafter more particularly described. The central section of the periphery of the folly 3 over the holes 4:, 'is

provided with a reinforcing annular band 6, for the purpose of strengthening and holding together the felly 3 and spokes 2,

and at the same time providing a firm support for the resilient members or springs 7. The resilient members or springs 7, are preferably bowed bars, which are circular in cross-section and tapered from. the middle toward each end, the middle section being irregular in cross-section at 8 and provided with shoulders 9, 9. as shown in Fig. The series of resilient members or springs 7, are arranged transversely to the plane of the wheel and are firmly and rigidly held to the periphery, one spring at each hole 4, by means of the split bolts 5, said bolts 5 being provided with an opening 10 at their outer ends corresponding to and firmly engaging the irregular cross-section at 8, of the springs 7. On each side of the telly 3, is arranged an annular plate 11, having a series of holes 12, 12, so arranged as to be in proper relation to permit the plates 11, 11 to loosely pass over and rest on the outer ends of the springs 7, as shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to one of the plates 11 by screws 13, or otherwise, is a cover 14, preferably L-shaped in cross-sect-ion and provided with an annular pocket- 15, to receive and permit any outer movement of the ends of the springs 7 The other plate 11 is also provided with and has similarly secured thereplaced in cured to the inner wall engage the other ends a 16 with their screws 17. Said cover 16 is also provided I with a similar pocket 15 for the same purv pose as described with reference to cover 14, both covers ll, and 16, "slidingly engage the sides of the telly and are provided with I a. flange 18, to engage and suitably retain any form of cushion tire 19. -The numeral 20 indicates a cushion seof the cover 14, and directly below the springs 7 and bolts 5, to resist the downward movement of the springs 7, should they for any reason receive'an unusual shock, and pass below their points of support. i he manner of assembling the wheel is as follows: The cover 14 with its plate 11 is 1 plate 11, plate 11 with its attached cover 16, is now laced so that the series of holes 12 in the ast mentioned plate 11 register with and cured to the cover 14 or wheel at any time desired. From the above dc ribed construction of the several parts and the mode of assembing the same, it will be seen that during the running of a vehicle provided with wheels con structed according to my invention, any shock received by the tire of the wheel will force the members or covers 14 and 16 with their connected plates 11, in an upward direction and cause the said covers to slide along the outer sides and over the folly 3. This upward movement or the covers 14 and connected parts will be resisted by all of the flexible bars and springs 7 and since each bar is held or supported by the telly 3 and covers 14 and 16, and each bar being circular in cross-section, said springs will bend in any direction, and hence e vibration of the shock will be readily absorbed 'by these springs. Furthermore, the construction of the bar springs circular in cross-section instead of flat bars, and having their extremities supported in circular be considered as departing from the scope of my herein described invention.

What I claim is z 1. A spring wheel vided with aseries a series of curved springs arranged transversely to the plane of the wheel and in contact'with the periphery of the fell at each hole, the ends of the springs exten ing outwardly and from the center of the wheel, bolts passing through said holes and connectcd with the springs, an annular plate on each side of the felly having a series of holes registering with and loosely engaging the ends of the transverse springs, said plates supported or carried by said springs and a circular rim engaging and carried by each of said annular plates.

2. A spring wheel comprising a felly provided with a series of spaced radial holes, a series of curved springs arranged transverselyto the plane of the wheel and in contact with the periphery of the telly at each hole, the ends of the springs extending outwardly and from the center of the wheel, split bolts passing through said holes and having comprising a felly protheir outer ends surrounding the middle section of the springs, an annular plate on each side of the felly having a series of holes registering with and loosel of the transverse springs, engaging and carried by nular plates.

A spring wheel comprising a felly provided with a series of spaced radial holes, a series of cusved round bars arranged transversely to the plane of the wheel and in contact with the periphery of the telly at each hole, the middle portion of said bars being irregular in cross-section and the ends of the springs extending outwardly and from the center of the wheel, split bolts passing through said holes and having their outer ends surrounding and engaging the irregular section of the bars, an annular plate on each side of the telly having a series of holes registering with and loosely engagand a circular rim each of said aning the ends of the transverse bars, and a circular rim engaging and carried by each of said annular plates.

spring wheel comprising a folly provided with a series of spaced radial holes, a series of curved springs cross section arranged transversely to the plane of the wheel and in contactwvith the periphery of the felly at each hole, the ends 0 the springs extending outwardly and from the center of the wheel, boltspassing through said holes and connected with the springs, an annular plate on each side of the telly having a series of holes registering with aiid engaging the ends of the transverse springs, said plates supported and carried by said springs, an annular cover secured to the outside of each plate and pro of spaced radial holes,

y engaging the ends tecting themovabl'e ends of the springs, and a circular rim engaging and carried by each of said annular plates.

I 5. A spring wheel comprising a'felly provided with a series of spaced radial holes, a

V series of curved springs arranged transnamely to the'plane of the wheel and in contact with the periphery of the telly at each hole, the ends of the springs extending out-- wardly and from the center of the wheel,bolts passi through said holes and connected with t e springs, an annular plate on each side of the felly having a series of holes regisbering with and engaging the ends of the transverse springs, an annular cover provided with an inner circular pocket secured to 'the outside of'each plate and protecting the movable ends of the springs, and a circular rim engaging and carried by each of said annular plates. a

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

' EDGAR B. KEEMER. Witnesses:

W. E. SCHOENBORN, H. P. ROBERTS. 

